


Egon’s Choice

by LuvBusters



Category: The Real Ghostbusters
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Language, Love/Jealousy, sexual innuendo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 22:15:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16941687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuvBusters/pseuds/LuvBusters
Summary: The Ghostbusters take a call in upstate New York. But their new client has eyes for Egon, which causes problems with Janine.





	1. Upstate Busters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ghostbusters head to upstate New York to investigate a ghost issue.

It was a nice spring day in New York. It was also a nice, quiet day so far at Ghostbusters HQ. Janine was sitting at her desk reading a magazine while filing her nails. Winston and Ray were finishing up a wax job on Ecto-1. Peter was napping at his desk. And Egon was in his lab.

Just then, a young woman walked into the garage area. She caught Winston’s attention as she passed by Ecto, Ray looking up a few seconds after. She was a lovely strawberry blonde with long flowing hair just past her shoulders. She was an inch taller than Janine and was wearing a blouse and skirt ensemble almost as short. The heels added another inch to her height. 

Janine looked up from her magazine, smiling at the visitor. “Can I help you?” She asked. 

“Yes. I’d like to talk to someone about a ghost problem I’m having,” the woman said. 

The sound of the woman’s voice woke Peter from his hibernation and he quickly ran out from his desk area. Janine rolled her eyes - the man could sleep through a nuclear blast but will hear a woman’s voice clear as a bell.

“Yes! We’re the Ghostbusters! What seems to be the nature of your problem?” Peter asked, taking the woman’s hand in a light handshake.

The woman frowned, politely removing her hand from his grip. “My name is Amanda Wrigley. I’ve recently inherited my grandfather’s estate. But some of the employees have reported ‘issues’ that seem to be….well...odd.”

Peter looked at Janine. “Would you get Egon down here please? I think we need to get him in on this,” he instructed as he motioned for Winston and Ray to come over.

Janine buzzed the lab, and asked Egon to come down to discuss business with a client. Peter showed Ms. Wrigley to his office area, joined by Winston and Ray. 

As Egon reached the ground floor, Janine stood up and smiled at him. “Sorry to interrupt your project, Egon,” she apologized. “I’m sure it was important.”

Egon smiled back. “No problem, Janine. It can wait.” He walked into Peter’s office area. 

Peter stood to introduce them. “Egon, this is Amanda Wrigley. Ms. Wrigley, this is Dr. Egon Spengler.”

Amanda stood abruptly, blushing and the first to extend her hand. “Dr. Spengler! A pleasure!” She gushed. 

Janine heard the change in the woman’s tone of voice and turned around to see her fawning over Egon. Her face turned as red as her hair, her teeth clenched tight. 

Egon quickly released her hand, pulling out a small notepad and pencil from his lab coat pocket. “You have a ghost problem?” He asked.

“Yes,” Amanda said. 

“You mentioned employees?” Ray asked. 

“Yes, some of the housekeepers and the groundskeeper have reported seeing things,” Amanda confirmed. 

“This must be some estate!” Winston said. 

“Indeed,” Amanda agreed. “It’s a total of thirty acres in upstate New York. It includes a pasture with six horses, barn and other farming equipment. The house itself isn’t really that big. There’s also a pond on the property as well as a small boathouse and there’s a garage closer to the house.”

“Wow!” Winston said after a long wolf whistle. 

“Is there any history of violence having taken place on the property?” Egon asked. 

“I don’t think so,” she slowly answered. 

“Well, sounds like something we should check into!” Peter decided. “Janine, do we have some time that we can go upstate?”

Janine walked around to the group, taking the opportunity to make her female presence known. “Yes, Dr. Venkman. Tomorrow is clear at this point.”

“Great! We’ll pack up Ecto and head out in the morning!” Ray said excitedly.

“Oh that’s wonderful! I’ll call ahead and let the housekeepers know!” Amanda squeaked with excitement and relief. “You all Can stay in the house while you’re there!” She looked directly at Egon as she said that. 

Janine of course saw the look and stepped over closer to Egon. She gently placed her hand on his forearm. “I hope this doesn’t interfere with your project? I could make arrangements for you to take it with you?”

Egon smiled at Janine. “Thank you but that won’t be necessary, Janine. It’s nothing that can’t wait.”

Peter walked Ms. Wrigley to the door, still trying to get her attention. Ray ran upstairs ready to start packing. Winston started checking their gear, making sure everything was charged before the trip. 

Janine sat down at her desk, beginning preparation for the guys’ itinerary. “I’ll take care of charting the best route and packing some bag lunches and snacks for you guys.”

Janine realized she was talking to thin air as she looked up and saw Egon headed back up to the lab. She sighed and continued her work. 

An hour later, the phone rang. 

“Ghostbusters!” Janine answered. 

“Hi, this is Amanda Wrigley. Would it be possible to speak to Dr. Spengler? I forgot to give him some details of my problem.”

Janine frowned. “Why not speak with Dr. Venkman? He’s available.”

“I prefer to speak with Dr. Spengler, please.”

“Fine,” Janine said curtly. She placed the call on hold and buzzed the lab. “Egon? Phone call.”

“Who is it? I’m busy,” Egon politely yet abruptly stated. 

“I’m aware of that. It’s Ms. Wrigley; she said she forgot to give you some details about her problem,” Janine said, a bit taken back by his tone.

“Oh! Ok, I’ll pick up,” Egon said, his demeanor softening instantly. 

“LINE 2!” Janine huffed, then slammed the receiver down.

Janine remained ruffled for the rest of the morning. Ms. Wrigley called back two more times: once more before lunch and again mid afternoon. Each time she asked to speak to Egon. 

Egon was coming back up from his check of the containment unit when he noticed Janine seemed upset. 

“Is everything ok, Janine? You seem upset,” Egon said.

She looked up at him. “This new client - something about her bugs me.” Janine confessed. “She’s called three times and every time, she insists on talking to YOU.”

Egon blushed, suddenly suspecting Janine was jealous. “Janine...I...um...I assure you the questions Amanda...I mean, Ms. Wrigley has asked are legitimate issues.”

Janine narrowed her eyes, turning back to her computer. “Yeah, well, you don’t have to be so damn happy every time she calls,” she muttered.

Egon, not knowing what to say, quietly headed upstairs. He was lost when it came to handling emotions, especially where Janine was concerned. 

The next morning, Janine came in earlier than usual to see the guys off. She was still somewhat upset about how smitten their new client had been with Egon. But she couldn’t blame her; Janine’s been smitten with him for years. “Not that it’s ever gotten me anywhere,” she thought. 

Ray came running downstairs, a bright smile plastered across his face. He was carrying duffle bags, pillows and blankets. “Hey Janine!”

She smiled despite herself. “Morning Ray. You got everything?” 

“Damn Ray! Why don’t you bring the toaster, too?” Winston laughed. 

“Do you think we need it?” Ray asked seriously. 

Winston just shook his head, laughing. “Nah man. You’ve got everything.”

Peter was next downstairs. “Alright! Head em up and move em out! Shake a leg Spengs!”

Egon hustled downstairs. He was carrying a single suitcase and one gym bag. 

“What’s in the gym bag, man?” Winston asked. 

“Three extra PKE meters, my personal compact copy of Tobin’s Spirit Guide And notebooks,” Egon said in a matter of fact tone.

Peter smiled, shaking his head. “Ok. Well, see ya later Janine!” He waved as he walked towards Ecto-1.

“Winston has the road map with the route planned out,” Janine informed Egon. “Just be careful, ok?”

“Of course. It’ll be fine, don’t worry,” Egon said softly with one of the most genuine smiles Janine had ever seen. 

As they pulled out, Janine waved them off, blowing a kiss to Egon. She knew he saw her because she could see his face blushing from her desk chair. 

The guys had been gone for forty-five minutes when the phone rang again. 

“Ghostbusters,” Janine answered warily. 

“Hi, can i speak to Egon?” It was Amanda...again. 

Janine’s temper flared. “Dr. Spengler and the team are headed to your estate. They left forty-five minutes ago! What now?!”

“Oh! Well, I’ll meet him at the estate. Thanks!”

“Bitch,” Janine mumbled as she hung up the phone. 

Against her better judgement, Janine radioed Ecto-1. 

“Ray here, what’s up Janine?” 

“Just wanted to give you a heads up; your new client is a little eager to see you guys,” Janine said bitterly. “She called AGAIN!”

“Geez, this lady really has your number, Spengs!” Peter said a bit too loudly. 

Janine was heard clearing her throat on the other end of the radio. “Just make sure you catch this damn thing! I’m getting tired of the freakin calls!” Then, radio silence. 

Winston gave Ray a silent “Wow” with his mouth. Ray just nodded.

Peter, of course, handled it with his usual lack of tact. “Wow, Egon! You’ve got two women dangling on the hook for you! How do you do it?”

Egon blushed, flustered at the thought. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

“Oh please! Amanda has obviously got the hots for you and Janine...we ALL know how she feels about you!” Peter teased. 

Egon shifted in his seat. “Ms. Wrigley has called with legitimate questions regarding her case.”

“Sticking to that, huh?” Peter asked. “Ok, well, don’t let me have to tell Janine she’s lost out to grandpa’s little girl!”

Three hours later, Ecto-1 pulled up to the entrance of the estate. 

Winston let out a slow whistle. “Wow! Amanda wasn’t kidding! This place is HUGE!”

The guard at the gate waved the Ghostbusters through. Amanda was anxiously waiting in front of the house. She waved excitedly as they got out of the car. 

“Go say hi to your girlfriend,” Peter whispered to Egon. 

“Yeah, we won’t tell Janine,” Winston added. 

Egon just gave both men an icy glare. “I believe public relations is your area of expertise, Peter.”

Peter winked and headed towards Amanda. “Hello again, Ms. Wrigley!” He said energetically. 

She was less than enthused but still shook Peter’s hand. “Let me show you where you’ll be staying.”

“I would prefer to see the areas where the sightings were and speak to the employees first,” Egon suggested. 

“Looks like Iggy wants to get down to business and back home!” Winston said quietly, elbowing Ray lightly. 

Ray smiled back, stifling a laugh.

“Yes, of course!” Amanda said. 

Amanda took the guys on a quick tour of the home and introduced them to the employees who had witnessed the events. Afterwards, the guys went to investigate those areas. 

Egon did a full sweep of the upstairs rooms where two maids had seen orbs of light. Winston, Ray and Peter scanned the rest of the hallway and other rooms. 

“I’m gettin nothin’” Winston said.

“Same here,” Ray added. 

“Egon, got anything? We’re all coming up negative here,” Peter said.

“Nothing,” Egon agreed. 

“Any chance this is a false alarm?” Winston asked. 

“The employees’ stories all sound valid,” Ray said. 

“I think we need to investigate further,” Egon suggested. “Ms. Wrigley had called to let us know that there had been several occurrences of the orbs but not just upstairs. The groundskeeper saw two orbs by the gardens.”

They walked down to the gardens; it was beautiful. All varieties of flowers, rose bushes, and ferns growing with a brick walkway throughout.

“Janine would LOVE this!” Ray said as they walked along the path.

“Yes, she would,” Egon agreed with a warm smile. 

“Which redhead you thinking about, Big Guy?” Peter teased. 

“Janine, of course!” Egon admitted, a little too quickly. 

“Aha! So you DO like her?” Peter continued his teasing. 

Egon blushed, “NO! I mean YES! I mean….,” he flustered. 

Winston slapped Egon playfully on the shoulder. “It’s alright Egon,” he laughed. “We know what you mean.”

Egon fidgeted with his PKE meter, walking a bit faster. 

Suddenly, the PKE meter alarm went off, the arms raising. “There’s a Class 2 nearby, somewhere up ahead,” Egon instructed.

They powered up and cautiously approached the boathouse. An orb was visible hovering just outside the door. As the guys got closer, it suddenly vanished into thin air.

“What happened?!” Winston shouted.

“The signal is gone,” Egon said, studying the PKE meter. 

As the day went on, the Ghostbusters searches every area the employees had seen the orbs. But they were never able to find it again. Frustrated, the guys decided to stay the night to see if anything odd happened. Again, no signs of anything paranormal. 

Amanda met with the guys the next morning. “I’m sorry. You probably think I got you up here on false pretenses.”

“No problem,” Peter said. “These things happen.”

“What happens now?” Amanda asked, a bit anxious. 

“Well, we can either split up: two of us stay here for extra investigations and the other two return back to the city or we all stay an extra day or so and see what happens,” Peter said. 

“Oh, could you please stay?” Amanda pleaded. “I know you’ll find something.”

“Sure! I’ll give Janine a quick call to let her know!” Ray said. 

Amanda took Egon by the arm and gave it a light squeeze. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you staying,” she purred. 

Egon blushed, giving Amanda a slight smile. “We will stay just an extra day or two; see if we can find any other signs of these orbs.” He looked a bit uncomfortable but then, he usually does. 

Winston, seeing Egon’s plight, stepped in. “We really need to get the equipment set up, Egon.”

“Yes, Excuse us, Ms. Wrigley,” Egon said. 

As they walked away, Egon whispered to Winston, “thank you. She likes to talk a lot. I owe you one.”

Winston just chuckled and gave him a thumbs up. “Anytime brother.” He shook his head, amused at how clueless Egon is.

Ray joined Peter, Winston and Egon at Ecto as they were unloading the rest of their equipment. 

“Well, Janine’s not happy about the extra time we’re staying but she said things at the Firehouse are quiet,” Ray informed them.

“Ah, she’s just pissed that Egon is gonna be up here with Amanda a bit longer,” Peter quipped. 

Egon rolled his eyes, hoping he’ll be able to keep his distance from the lovely client.


	2. Moving On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janine decides to move on.

Janine tried to not let the fact that their new client was obviously flirting with Egon. She was not successful. 

“He’s not yours,” she tried to reason with herself. “You’ve been chasing him for years. He’s obviously not interested.”

Then she realized one very unsettling thing: “he seems to like the attention she’s giving him! He’s never once shown any positive signs towards me!”

Janine’s eyes started to tear up. “The Woman is practically my twin!” She mumbled aloud. “She’s the same build as me. Hell, even her hair is similar!”

She continued making mental comparisons and came to one frightening conclusion: “she must have something I don’t. Maybe it’s my accent? Or maybe it’s my personality? Or….maybe I’m just not good enough?”

Janine broke down into tears at that point. In her mind, she and Amanda were almost identical. Yet, Egon seems to be interested more in Amanda in just the short time they’ve met. He’s known Janine for years and has never once made a move. 

So, she did the only thing she could do; she made the decision to give up and move on. Janine picked up the phone and called one of her friends. 

“Hey Irene? It’s Jay. Do you still have that guy’s number? Yeah, the one you told me about a coupla weeks ago.”

Meanwhile, at the estate, the Ghostbusters were trying to find any other signs of ghost infestation. Peter was growing more and more impatient. 

“Man, I am so ready to find something or go home!” He whined.

“Come on, Pete, we’re getting paid!” Winston pointed out. 

“Never mind him, Winston. He’s just sore that Amanda likes Iggy better than him!” Ray teased.

Egon blushed. “I really wish you three would get off that topic!” He was actually starting to sound a bit upset.

“Whoa! Hang on there Big Guy!” Peter said. “Are you actually getting mad about this?!”

Egon looked at the others calmly. “I only want to ask that the teasing stop. I am getting tired of the constant innuendos.”

Winston chuckled. “It’s more than innuendos, Egon. It’s flat out flirting!”

Egon shook his head. “I am here to solve the ghost problem. That’s all.”

“Well, she’s paid us in advance so we need to hurry up and find something!” Peter quipped. “Which reminds me: I need to buzz Janine; see if the check cleared.”

“You thinking about skipping out?” Ray asked shocked.

“No, just wanna make sure things on our end are covered.” Peter replied. Then a sly grin crossed his lips. “And time to give Janine hell; gotta keep her on her toes while we’re out.”

Winston shook his head and laughed as Peter went back towards Ecto-1. “That Woman is gonna kill him one day!”

Ray laughed, too. “Probably. She might kill Egon, too.”

“Nah, maim maybe but not kill,” Winston replied.

Peter opened the door to Ecto-1 and radioed the Firehouse. “Yo, Melnitz! You there?”

“Yes, Dr. V. Whaddya want?” Janine’s annoyed voice chimed.

“Have you deposited that check yet? The one from our lovely new client?” He laid on a thick veil of sweetness over his words.

“Yes, I did. Why?”

“Oh, just checking. Things are going might slow here. What’s going on at home?” Peter asked. 

Janine sighed. “Very quiet. I’m considering closing up a little early. I’ve caught up everything on my desk. Besides, I could use an extra hour or two.”

Peter was intrigued. “Oh? For what?”

“Gotta date this evening,” Janine said bluntly, a slight giddy sound to her voice.

“Oh really?” Peter’s eyebrow arched. “Spengs is here!”

“I’m capable of finding someone else to spend time with, y’know?” Janine replied, putting some emphasis on “else.”

Peter was speechless. “Oh.... Well….have fun?”

“Thanks! I’ll be leaving around 4:00. Otherwise, I’ll hear from you tomorrow?” Janine said.

“Uh...yeah….tomorrow,” Peter’s voice trailed off. 

Peter returned to where the others were, still scanning the area for ghosts. “Wow,” Peter thought to himself. “Didn’t see that one coming!”

Winston noticed the confused look on Peter’s face as he returned to the group. “What’s up? Everything alright back home?”

“Yeah. Uh...Janine deposited the check so we’ve been paid,” Peter replied. 

“Then what's the problem?” Ray asked. 

“Janine’s leaving at 4:00 today; she’s got a date,” Peter said.

Egon’s head instantly popped up from his work with the PKE meter. “Excuse me?” He asked. 

“Janine has a date tonight so she’s leaving work at 4:00,” Peter repeated. 

Winston and Ray shared an “Oh shit” look on their faces.

Egon remained calm on the outside but the others could see his jaws clenched. Finally, he broke the silence. “Janine is a single young woman, free to date anyone she pleases.”

He then went back to taking readings on the PKE meter. 

“Well, Amanda will be thrilled! She’ll have Egon all to herself!” Peter said to Winston and Ray, making sure Egon heard it. 

Egon didn’t turn to look at Peter but his ears had turned a rosy shade of red. 

********************   
Janine was excited but nervous, too. And wondering if this really was the right thing to do. 

“Of course it is!” she told herself. “I’ve waited, chased, flirted with and even kissed Egon over the years. If he’s too dumb to see it, then it’s his loss. My life must go on!”

With that, she went downstairs to the waiting cab. She gave the driver the address to the restaurant she was meeting her date at. 

A striking young man opened the cab door for Janine after it pulled up to the restaurant. She gave him her hand so he could help her out.

“Hi David,” Janine greeted him.

“Hi Janine! You look gorgeous!” He replied excitedly. 

Janine blushed. “Thanks. You look very handsome!”

David was a tall, dark brown haired young man with beautiful brown eyes. He was well toned (must be into sports Janine thought). He wore a pale pink polo shirt with a pair of light brown khakis. He looked hip in a kind of laid back way; Janine liked it. He seemed very down to earth, someone she could easily relate to.

Janine wore a yellow sleeveless dress that fell at her knees. The skirt poofed out just a bit. She wore white sandals. David thought she looked quite perfect - simple yet elegant. 

“Shall we?” David announced as he held the door open for Janine.

“Thanks,” Janine replied with a warm smile. 

They enjoyed a lovely meal; afterwards they took in a movie. David was very much the gentleman; he didn’t push things too quickly. He was slow to hold Janine’s hand or put his arm around her. But, when their evening came to an end, he didn’t hold back. 

He walked Janine to her apartment door. Before she said her goodbyes, David took her by the hand. “I really had a nice time, Janine.”

“I did too, thanks,” Janine replied with a faint smile. 

David quickly leaned in for a kiss, but he pulled back once he realized Janine had tensed up. “Gosh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so forward.”

“Oh no! It’s ok. I’m sorry, David,” Janine apologized. “It’s….just that….,” she trailed off, looking down at her feet.

David tipped her chin up. “Another guy?” he asked warily.

Janine held back tears as she spoke. “Kind of. Just someone that I wanted to be with but ….”

“He never reciprocated?” David finished for her. 

Janine just nodded, wiping her eyes carefully so as not to mess up her makeup.

David smiled. “Well, his loss,” and he leaned in again for another kiss. 

This time, Janine returned the kiss with enthusiasm. 

“Have a good night,” David smiled as he pulled back. “Can I call you?”

“I’d like that,” Janine replied. 

David left as Janine shut her door. She leaned back against it, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. “This might work,” she thought as she tried to ignore the tinge of heartbreak she felt.


	3. The Past Comes Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ghostbusters try another investigation at Amanda’s estate and this time, they find something.

The Ghostbusters were at Ms. Wrigley’s estate for three days. They had ran tests of all kinds, even set up a video camera. But they still had not been able to find any signs of a ghost and the orbs had not been spotted since their arrival. 

Reluctantly, Peter decided they needed to return to the Firehouse, but he left instructions with Amanda to contact them immediately if she had anymore problems. She had felt incredibly guilty about them spending so much of their time with nothing to show for it. So she insisted they keep the money; Peter had no problem with that. 

Egon was anxious to get home; he had been short tempered with everyone since he had found out Janine went out with David. Ms. Wrigley had shown considerable interest in Egon, and even though he tried to deny it, he had started to see what the others were talking about. She had pulled Egon aside more than once during the time they had spent at the estate to talk. And it wasn’t always about her ghost issues. She had strongly suggested that he should return soon to spend more time at the estate - just him. She had given his arm a light squeeze during that particular conversation. And he knew he had caught her eyeing his physique more than once. Not in the “getting to know you” kind of way; more like the lusty “I wanna jump you” Janine-like kind of way. The whole situation made him uncomfortable, especially with the development of Janine dating. But, he was sure everything would return to normal once they got back home. 

That idea was shot once Ecto-1 pulled into the garage. It was 6:30 pm but Janine had obviously already left for the day.

“Janine usually always stays til we get back,” Ray pouted. 

“She left a note,” Winston said, passing by her desk with the packs. He picked it up and read aloud. 

“Left early to meet David for dinner. Just leave all the receipts on my desk; I’ll get it tomorrow morning. -J.”

They all looked a bit amused, except Egon. He was too busy looking at the roses on her desk, in a beautiful vase. 

“Well, guess we’ll have to wait til then to tell her about our bust of a bust,” Peter dryly commented.

“Yeah, we haven’t had this problem in a while,” Ray simply stated. He was still pouting because Janine didn’t wait until they returned. He always appreciated the fact that she had done that. 

Egon silently went upstairs and they could hear the lab door slam shut. Winston, Ray and Peter looked at each other. 

Peter rolled his eyes. “I don’t blame Janine personally,” he said. “She’s given him every chance he could ask for. I’m surprised this hasn’t happened already.”

“It won’t last long,” Winston said. “She’s too far gone on Egon for anybody else to take her heart.”

“I don’t know; this seems pretty serious,” Ray said. “This is what - their second date?”

“I guess,” Peter said. “We’ve been gone for four days total. They could be sleeping together by now.”

Ray looked at Peter shocked. 

Peter slapped Ray’s shoulder. “The bedroom is open after the first date, Tex.”

“And let’s admit it,” Winston added. “Janine is an attractive woman.”

Ray shook his head, on his way upstairs. “Guess we’ll find out tomorrow.”

The next morning, the guys made their way downstairs after breakfast. Janine was at her desk, a bright shine in her eyes and she was humming with a song playing on the radio.

“Good morning Sunshine!” Peter chirped on his way to his office area.

Janine smiled. “Morning Dr. V. I’ve taken care of the receipts from your trip.”

She then addressed Egon. “Hi Egon! I’ve also typed up your notes from the trip. I can’t believe you guys wasted your time. But the file is on your desk in the lab to sign off on.”

Egon regarded her with a cold, distant glare. “Thank you. I’ll take care of that after I’ve completed the morning check of the containment unit.”

He walked a few steps past, then looked back over his shoulder. “And it wasn’t a total waste of time.”

Janine looked at him as he went downstairs. “What the fuck did that mean?!” she asked.

Peter shrugged his shoulders. “Guess he enjoyed the company up there.”

Winston and Ray walked towards Ecto-1 to start cleaning it out from the trip. They wanted a reason to look in a different direction so they couldn’t see the look of both extreme rage and hurt in Janine’s eyes.

Janine was busily typing up more notes from another case when Egon returned from the basement. Winston and Ray nervously watched out the corner of their eye to see what happened. Peter acted like he was reading a magazine, but he was really listening. 

Egon passed by Janine’s desk. “Nice flowers,” he said dryly. 

“Thanks. A gift,” Janine replied curtly, not looking up from typing.

“I’ll be in the lab,” Egon said cooly as he walked upstairs. 

Janine didn’t respond, just kept typing. Peter shifted in his chair, trying to get comfortable so he   
could really read his magazine. Winston and Ray resumed their work on Ecto-1. 

An hour later, the phone rang. 

“Ghostbusters,” Janine answered, her voice somewhat energetic. That changed very quickly. “Uh, Yeah. Hold on.”

She placed the call on hold and buzzed the lab. “Egon, you have a call on Line 1.”

“Who is it?” He asked sounding annoyed at being disturbed.

“Who do you think? Your upstate girlfriend!” Janine replied bitterly.

Egon looked at the phone, debating whether to answer. Then he thought about the guy who sent Janine those flowers. He reached for the phone. 

“Dr. Spengler here,” he answered.

“Hello there, Doctor,” Amanda purred. 

Egon smiled. “Hello Ms. Wrigley. What can we do for you?”

“YOU can come back up here; I’d like your opinion,” Amanda said seductively.

“Are you experiencing more ghost problems?” Egon asked, his tone becoming serious.

“No, it’s been quiet since you and your team left. But I’m afraid the ghost might come back. I’d appreciate it if you could come back and check things over.”

Egon considered it for a moment. “I can check our schedule. If it’s clear, I might can arrange another trip.”

“I’ll make it….worth your time,” Amanda cooed. 

Egon blushed. “Let me check and we’ll get back in touch.”

“I can’t wait,” she whispered in a sexy tone.

Egon hung up and stood to go downstairs. Then he suddenly realized he should probably wait a few more minutes. He wasn’t exactly in the mood to listen to Peter’s teasing; about the phone call and especially the state of mind his smaller brain was in at the moment.

After a few minutes, Egon came downstairs to tell the others about the call.

Peter was less than enthused. “Go if you want. I’m not wasting anymore of my time.”

“Sounds like she just wants Egon anyway,” Winston teased. 

Janine kept looking ahead at her computer screen but she started typing with a bit more force than necessary. 

Egon headed to his locker. He had mixed feelings about the ghost issue and Janine’s reaction. He pulled out a new device.

“Got a new toy, Spengs?” Peter asked walking around Janine’s desk.

“Yes, a prototype actually,” Egon replied. “I started working on this a month ago.”

“What’s it do?” Winston asked as he walked closer to take a look.

“Hopefully, it will detect low energy entities that the PKE meter might miss due to the lower ectoplasmic energies that are given off,” Egon explained.

“We could’ve used that at the estate!” Peter exclaimed. 

Egon frowned. “I would’ve taken it if I had known, but now that I DO, I will be sure to take it this time.”

“So, you’re going?” Peter asked with a sly grin.

After giving Janine a quick glance, Egon said, “Yes. After the unsuccessful investigation previously, I would like to take this device to use.”

“So, when are we leaving?!” Ray asked excitedly.

“As soon as I can get my gear together,” Egon replied. 

Winston rolled his eyes. “Alright. Let me get some clothes together.”

Peter sighed. “Yeah, me too. If there is a chance of something being there, I’d like to see it. And if not, I wanna see Spengs get hit on again!”

Janine gave Peter an icy glare as he went upstairs. He stopped halfway up then turned back to look at her. 

“You’re dating. What do you care?” Peter returned the icy glare.

Janine didn’t say a word; she returned to her typing. To Peter, the silence said it all.

*********************************  
A few hours later, Ecto-1 was pulling into the estate once again. Amanda came running out to greet them (Egon Actually).

“Oh I’m sooooo glad you made it!” She purred as she grabbed Egon’s arm. 

Egon still looked a bit flustered at the attention from Amanda. He gave her a wary smile. 

“Ahem...well...I would like to get started again if you don’t mind?”

“Of course!” Amanda replied. 

The guys geared up and headed back to the upstairs area where the orbs had been seen. Their equipment still didn’t detect anything. 

“I’m starting to think we’re on a wild goose chase,” Winston said, a bit mad.

“Yes, it appears that way,” Egon said. “My new device is not registering anything.”

One of the housekeepers was approaching the room the Ghostbusters were investigating. “Oh! Excuse me! I didn’t realize anyone was in here.”

“Oh no! It’s ok! We were just finishing up,” Ray said. 

As they left the room, the housekeeper looked a bit worried about something. Peter noticed it immediately.

“Are you ok?” He asked. 

“I’m fine,” she replied nervously.

“Are you sure?” Peter persisted. 

The woman looked extremely uncomfortable. “Yes, just didn’t mean to interrupt your work.” She then quickly excused herself and left.

“That was weird,” Winston admitted.

“She knows something,” Peter said. 

“Why not say so?” Ray asked.

“My guess is she likes getting a paycheck and wants to continue getting one,” Peter replied.

“Let’s check out the garden area,” Egon suggested. 

They walked out to the garden area. Egon’s device started picking up a signal. “I’m getting something,” he said.

“Whatcha think it is?” Ray asked. 

“Possibly a residual of an earlier ghost appearance?” Egon stated.

Suddenly, the PKE meter in Ray’s hand went off, alarming them to a bigger problem. “Whoa! Class 3 incoming!” 

They primed their throwers, looking around anxiously. Then, the arms on the PKE meter raised all the way. “This is an all out attack!” Ray shouted.

Five apparitions appeared out of nowhere, headed straight towards the Ghostbusters. They fired, hitting two of the specters and holding them in place long enough to get trapped. But the other three vanished as fast as they had appeared. 

“What the hell was that?!” Peter shouted as he wiped the sweat off his brows. 

“Two Class 3’s, one Class 4 And a Class 6 at the same time,” Egon replied as he adjusted his glasses. 

“Yeah But why all at one time?” Peter asked.

“My guess is our presence has caused a disturbance in the natural order of these grounds,” Egon replied.

“Why don’t we question Ms. Wrigley and the employees again? Find out if there’s a history here?” Winston suggested.

“We have; they didn’t know of anything,” Ray said.

“Then let's do some old fashioned research,” Peter suggested.

“I’m proud of you, Pete. Gonna go to the local library?” Winston asked smiling.

“Library?! Hell no!” Peter replied. “Call Janine and make HER do it!”

A couple of hours later, Janine called the guys back at the estate. Ray answered.

“Whatcha got Janine?” 

“Looks like sixty years ago, there was a murder on the grounds,” Janine explained. “There was an argument between the foreman and a groundskeeper. Three other employees tried to break it up but they failed. The groundskeeper was pushed and fell. He hit his head on a rock and killed him instantly.”

“That could be our five ghosts!” Ray said excitedly. “They’re back for revenge!”

“But it wasn’t murder!” Janine said sternly. “It was an accident!”

“Janine, why don’t you come up here?” Peter suggested. 

“Yes, I believe it would be prudent,” Egon agreed. “Can she bring the research she’s found?”

“I heard and yeah, I’ll bring it,” Janine said. 

“Come prepared to fight,” Winston said loud enough for her to hear.

“Got it,” Janine replied before hanging up.

“Fight what? The ghosts or Amanda?” Peter asked with a wolffish grin.

“Yep,” Winston answered.


	4. Ghosts and Girls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janine arrives at the estate to help the guys. But tensions rise between Amanda and Janine as well as more details about the ghosts are discovered.

Egon was looking through some of the books in the library that Amanda had shown him. She had a feeling that he would find the history of the estate interesting.

“I appreciate your showing me this,” Egon said. “Learning about the home and surrounding gardens will give me some information to use towards our investigation.”

“Glad to help!” Amanda cooed as she stepped next to Egon, lightly running her fingers across his arm. She giggled as she saw goosebumps form along his arm. “Sooo, is there a Mrs. Spengler?”

Egon swallowed hard, blushing and wishing an asteroid would come crashing through the roof to spare him from this conversation. 

He cleared his throat. “Ahem...well...there’s my mother….”

Amanda giggled louder, hanging on his arm. “No silly! A wife! Or someone special?”

“Umm….well…,” his thoughts quickly wandered to Janine. But then he remembered that she was currently in the midst of dating someone. He looked at Amanda. “No, no one special.”

Amanda smiled, her eyes lighting up like Christmas. “Oooh! Good! I thought maybe….you know….the woman at your office?”

Egon’s face paled; he suddenly felt like he had betrayed Janine. “Uh...no..she’s been working with us for a while. Actually, she’s on the way here! She’s bringing some research information.”

Amanda’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, well….,” her voice trailed off. “Do you want to tour the gardens again?” She practically pulled Egon with her. He reluctantly followed, reaching down and taking Amanda’s hand.

By mid afternoon, Janine’s VW Beetle pulled up at the grand estate of Amanda Wrigley. Janine rolled her eyes. “Geez,” she muttered.

Egon and Ray were sitting in the study going over possible scenarios of why these ghosts have suddenly appeared. 

Winston and Peter were standing out front to greet Janine. They didn’t realize it but Amanda was just inside the foyer, eavesdropping.

“What do you think Janine’s gonna say about the fact that Egon has been spending so much extra time with Amanda?” Winston asked.

“I don’t know. I’ve been under the impression she’s been dating that other guy,” Peter replied.

Janine got out of the car. Peter and Winston came over to help her with the reference books and notebooks. 

“Geez Janine! Bring the whole damn library?!” Peter exclaimed. 

She rolled her eyes as she closed the car door. As they walked up to the house, Janine took a quick look around. “Nice. Where’s Ray and Egon?”

“In the library,” Peter said in a stuffy, formal sounding voice. 

Amanda appeared at the front door. “Good afternoon!” She gave Janine a smile that dripped with disdain.

“Hello again, Ms. Wrigley,” Janine answered with a devilish smile of her own.

“I’ll show you to the study,” Amanda offered. 

They followed Amanda to the study, where Egon and Ray were. They looked up from their work. 

“Janine! Glad you’re here!” Ray shouted.

Egon stood, smiling at Janine. But when she didn’t return the gesture, his smile faded. “Thank you for coming up so quickly,” he said to her.

“Yeah, I’m getting overtime,” she smiled over at Peter. 

He just stuck out his tongue.

Amanda addressed Janine. “I’ll have the butler and housekeeper show you to your room,” she said cooly.

Janine smiled back. “Thanks But I don’t plan on being here that long.” She went back to the study to see if she could help Ray with anything. 

Peter stepped over to Amanda. “Janine usually helps with the research too,” he said softly. 

Amanda ignored Peter and walked over to Egon who was flipping through the notebooks Janine had brought. “Come on,” she whispered, taking Egon by the arm. “I know a spot that’s nice and quiet to do your reading.” She led him out to the garden area. “There’s a nice gazebo out here; I come out here a lot to read.”

Egon looked around a bit, enjoying the sights and smells of the flowers. “I can see why; it’s very nice,” he agreed.

Without warning, Amanda tiptoed and kissed Egon on the lips. He stood there motionless at first, but after a beat, he slowly raised his hand and cupped Amanda’s face. He deepened the kiss as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

Ray had mentioned to Janine the beautiful garden area, so she decided to take a peek. She froze in her tracks from the side doorway leading out to the garden when she saw Egon and Amanda embracing each other in the kiss. She ran back inside, tears streaming down her face. 

Egon released Amanda, not realizing Janine had seen them. He stepped back looking at Amanda, who seemed to be on Cloud Nine. “I’m sorry, I should not have allowed that.”

“Oh no! That was wonderful, Egon!” Amanda cooed. 

Egon took another step away from her. “I should not have mixed my professional feelings with personal.”

“So you do have personal feelings?!” Amanda said excitedly. 

Egon blushed slightly. “I do not believe I have enough information to determine personal feelings. Excuse me, I need to rejoin Raymond.”

With that, he left, walking quickly back to the study. Amanda stood in the gazebo, smiling from ear to ear. 

Egon rejoined Ray along with Peter and Winston. He was puzzled to see that Janine wasn’t there. “I thought Janine would be assisting?”

“No, I thought she was gonna take a look at the garden,” Ray said. “I told her about it; she seemed pretty excited.”

Egon then realized what might have happened. “Oh no,” he said, not realizing at first that he had said it out loud. 

“What? Whats oh no?” Peter asked. 

“She must have seen us,” Egon whispered almost in a panic.

“Seen what?” Winston asked.

Egon blushed. “Amanda and I…..kissed,” he admitted.

“Oh shit!” Winston said.

Just then, they heard voices - female voices. And they didn’t sound happy. 

“Oh man, please let this be what I think it is!” Peter begged aloud as they all headed towards the front of the house.

As soon as they reached the door, they could definitely make out Janine’s distinct Brooklyn accent, heavy with anger and cursing.

“You don’t belong here anyway!” Amanda was shouting. 

“Yeah, But neither do you! You’re just some spoiled brat who’s inheritance just fell in your lap!” Janine replied angrily.

She was walking towards her car, preparing to leave. Her face was as red as her hair, but she was determined to walk away from this situation calmly. However, Amanda had other ideas.

“What do you care?! I’ve heard you’re dating someone else anyway! Besides, Egon needs a REAL woman; someone who will love him for his mind, not just his body. Go back to Brooklyn, you little tramp!” She fumed at Janine.

That did it. Janine turned around and stormed back over to Amanda. “You listen here, you little snobby bitch! It’s none of your damn business what I do! And I’ve known Egon for YEARS! You’ve only known him for a few days! What do you know about him?!”

Amanda stepped up to Janine, pointing her finely manicured finger in her face. “I may have only known him for a few days but I know how to make him happy! And if he’s known you for years, then why hasn’t he done anything to move your relationship forward?!”

Janine grabbed Amanda by her hair and pushed her down on the ground hard. Then she lunged onto her, holding her down by the shoulder with one hand while punching her in the nose with the other. Amanda grabbed Janine’s arm to stop her hits and used her knees to throw Janine off of her. She then straddled Janine trying to pull her hair. But Janine kicked at Amanda and twisted her hips, throwing Amanda off balance and causing her to fall over onto the ground. 

Peter was watching the whole thing with wide eyes, yelling to encourage Janine. “Go Big J! Show her what Brooklyn girls can do! Come on, rip her shirt off!” He continued cheering and clapping while Winston and Ray tried to pull the women apart as they squealed, clawed and screamed.

Egon just watched in horror, not sure what to do. Janine obviously had the upper hand. Truth be told, he was a bit flattered to have two women fighting over him. 

Winston grabbed Janine while Ray pulled Amanda. Janine was in far better shape with only a few scratches on her arms and a mildly busted lip. Amanda, on the other hand, had a broken nose, a black eye, several bloody claw marks on her face and arms, as well as a bloody earlobe where Janine had ripped the earring out. 

“That’s enough! Both of you!” Winston shouted. He held Janine firmly by the shoulders while Ray helped Amanda back into the house. 

Peter gave Janine a slap on the shoulder. “That was great Janine! Way to go!” He gave her a wink.

“You should be ashamed of yourself,” Winston scolded. Janine jerked loose from his grip. 

“Ah, forget it! I’m going back home. Good luck with all of this!” She waved her hand at the house. 

As Janine walked towards her car, Egon stepped in front of the car door, blocking her way. “Get outta the way!” she yelled.

“Janine, I’m afraid you may have gotten the wrong idea in the garden,” Egon started to apologize. But Janine cut him off.

“No, I get it. You can’t misunderstand two people kissing, Egon! Now move! I’m leaving!” She pushed her way past him. As Egon grabbed her by the arm, Janine turned quickly and slapped him across the face. “My letter of resignation will be on my desk,” she said angrily as tears rolled down her cheeks. 

Egon let go of her arm, allowing her to leave. Ray had come back outside since Amanda’s housekeeper was tending to her wounds. “You can’t quit!” Ray shouted.

“I don’t see how I can stay,” Janine said.

“At least stay and help us with the rest of the ghosts,” Winston offered. 

“Fine but that’s it,” Janine agreed. 

“I believe I may have found something!” Ray said. 

They all headed back into the study where Ray had left the books open. “We’ve captured two of the ghosts; I think they may have been some of the hired hands that tried to help stop the fight sixty years ago!”

“Them who are the other three?” Peter asked. 

Ray showed them a picture that he had noticed in one of the old books from Amanda’s library. “This Guy here is the one who died. I think he’s our Class 6.”

“And the foreman is the Class 4?” Winston asked. 

“Yep! The other Class 3 is one of the other hired hands, I guess?” Ray said, bouncing as he talked.

“Then what's next?” Janine asked.

“I think we need to suit up and go back to where we saw the ghosts earlier,” Ray suggested. “If they show back up, maybe try to reason with them? Give them a chance to finish this?”

“Or we’ll finish it for them!” Peter added. 

Ray looked at Janine. “Please help us Janine? We’re gonna need some extra help on this one.” He gave her the sad puppy dog eyes.

Janine smiled. “Well, I can’t say no to that! I’ll change into my jumpsuit.”

After she left the room, the guys looked at Egon.

“I’ll talk to her but after we settle this ghost problem,” he agreed reluctantly.


	5. Truth Be Told

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some disturbing confessions come out.

Amanda had only slightly eavesdropped on the guys’ conversations about the ghosts. She found it interesting, but after recent events, she carefully kept her distance. Especially if Janine was around. It was obvious that, even though they may not be actively involved, Egon and Janine had some sort of history. And Amanda was determined to take it over.

As the guys and Janine headed back towards the garden area, Amanda followed along, hanging around Ray and Winston more closely to avoid further altercations with Janine. 

“So, did I hear correctly? You’ve actually caught two ghosts?” Amanda asked surprised.

“Yep! We did but the other three are still out there,” Ray said. 

“Yeah, That Class 4 And 6 are gonna be tough,” Winston added.

Egon had activated his new device while Janine had the PKE meter. He wasn’t getting any readings on the new device. 

“Anything on the new toy?” Peter asked. 

“Nothing yet,” Egon replied.

“Probably cause I’m picking up everything!” Janine said as the arms on the PKE meter rose.

“Power up!” Peter instructed. 

They all powered up and raised their throwers, ready for a fight. Amanda huddled closer to Egon, even though Janine gave her a cold look. Ray noticed the exchange between the women.

“Amanda, why don’t you go back inside? It’s gonna get intense,” Ray suggested.

Amanda gave him a light hearted laugh. “Oh Dr. Stantz, I’ll be fine.”

Just then, the Class 6 ghost showed up. It resembled the deceased groundskeeper from the photo Ray showed them. The only difference was that his skin was a deep gray and his face looked sunken in. 

He lunged towards the Ghostbusters at full speed. 

“FIRE!” Peter shouted. 

All five Busters fired, but the streams weren’t strong enough to hold him. The ghost laughed eerily, taunting them. 

Out of nowhere, the Class 4 And the other Class 3 showed up. The smaller ghost and the Class 4 ghost both tried to attack the Ghostbusters. 

“If these things are who we think they are, why are they fighting US?!” Peter yelled. 

“Gee, Dr. V, I dunno; maybe cause we’re trying to BLAST EM?!” Janine screamed back.

They all fired again: Winston and Ray taking aim at the large Class 6, while Egon and Janine tried to catch the Class 4. Peter easily caught the other Class 3 on his own. 

Egon and Janine were having a tough time with the specter that was obviously the foreman from sixty years ago. 

“Leave me be! Let me take care of Leon!” It yelled.

“That was the name of the guy who was killed!” Janine yelled to Egon over the noise of the fighting. 

“CEASE FIRE!” Egon yelled to Janine. 

They both shut off their throwers. Egon calmly looked at the Class 6 entity. He held his hands up to show that he meant no harm. 

“Please tell us why you’re here?” Egon asked. 

The ghost looked at Egon suspiciously. “I didn’t mean to kill him. But he has to pay for what he did!”

“What did he do?” Egon asked.

“He stole money from me! And then he screwed my wife!” The ghost yelled. 

The Class 4 laughed. “I didn’t take none of your money!” he screamed. 

“But you screwed my wife!”

The two specters started to attack each other. Peter had decided enough was enough. 

“HIT IT!” Peter ordered.

They all resumed their attack with the throwers. Peter and Ray attempted to catch the Class 4. He was powerful; he was able to pull free from the streams several times. 

Meanwhile, Egon and Janine had their hands full with the Class 6. He blasted Egon with a powerful blow that threw him back a good ten yards. It knocked the wind out of him, but he was ok otherwise. Amanda had been watching from the living room window. When she saw Egon attacked, she ran out to him. She knelt beside him, quickly looking him over for injuries.

Janine moved closer, aiming her thrower at the ghost. But she underestimated its strength and it quickly overpowered her. The ghost blasted her with a red flash of light, throwing her several feet across the yard. She landed with a hard thud, her proton pack starting to spark from the blast and the impact. She had hit her head on a small jagged rock when she first landed on the ground. 

Ray and Peter were still trying to contain the Class 4; Winston joined in to help them. Janine struggled to regain her equilibrium after the jolt, but she staggered back up onto her feet. 

Peter took a quick glance at Janine. He could see sparks flying out of her pack. 

“JANINE! GET THE PACK OFF - NOW!” Peter shouted. 

Janine unhooked it and removed the straps as fast as she could. But she had the breath knocked out of her at the time and she wasn’t moving fast enough. 

Egon scrambled to get to her. Amanda was holding onto his arm as tight as she could, but he was able to break free from her grasp. 

“Egon! No!” Amanda screamed. 

He made it to Janine’s side moments before the pack exploded. 

“EVERYONE DOWN!” He shouted as he pulled Janine away from the smoking pack. He threw her down on the ground and covered her with his own body to shield her from further injury. 

Once the pack exploded, Egon raised up to look at Janine. Her glasses had been knocked off but she could still see Egon clearly enough. 

“Janine! Are you ok? Please say something!” Egon pleaded. He was frantically checking her over for injuries. 

“My head hurts,” she answered weakly. 

Egon checked and saw where she had hit her head against something, cutting a small gash on the back of her head. 

“Winston! Get me something to stop the bleeding!”  
Egon yelled as he gently cradled Janine in his arms. 

Winston ran over to Egon and Janine, unzipping his jumpsuit on the way. He pulled a handkerchief from his back jeans pocket and handed it to Egon. 

Peter and Ray were battling the ghost, wrangling it down into the trap. 

“How did this even happen?!” Amanda screamed. 

Peter looked at her in shock as he kept trying to hold the ghost. “Whaddya mean?!”

Amanda started to cry uncontrollably. “There were no ghosts!”

As soon as Peter and Ray trapped the ghost, Peter spun around to confront Amanda. “What the HELL do you mean?! No ghosts!”

Amanda controlled herself enough to speak. “The orbs were fake! I created it to get you up here, mostly Egon. I’m….I've been…..following his career.”

“You mean stalking?!” Ray shouted in surprise. 

“And now, we’re out here bustin our asses and Janine’s hurt all because of your obsession?!” Peter was livid. 

“We’ve still gotta get the Class 6, Peter,” Ray pointed out. “Janine’s in good hands.”

Peter returned his focus on the task at hand. He and Ray increased the power on their throwers. 

“Ok, Tex. You go on the back side there and hit it from behind,” Peter instructed. “I’ll take him from the front.”

“And I’ll cover the right side,” Winston offered.

“How’s Janine?” Ray asked. 

“She’s gonna need a hospital, but we’ve gotta finish this first! Egon’s got her over at Ecto,” Winston replied.

They fired again at the last ghost while it was distracted by Amanda’s presence. Ray hit him from behind while Peter and Winston attacked from the other directions. The ghost screamed and cursed as it was taken down into the trap. Finally, the battle was over. The three men anxiously ran to Ecto-1, eager to get Janine to the hospital.

Egon held the handkerchief against Janine’s head, applying pressure to stop the bleeding. She leaned against his chest, her breathing labored. 

Winston frowned. “Janine, I need to unzip your suit; see if you’ve broken anything.”

She nodded, silently giving him permission.

He unzipped the suit, sliding the sleeves down. He and Egon grimaced when they saw several bruises on Janine’s arms. As Winston slid the suit down to her waist, they frowned even more. They could see a bloody spot on Janine’s left side rib area. 

“Broken rib probably,” Winston said. 

“That explains her labored breathing,” Egon added. 

Suddenly, Janine gasped for breath, grabbing Egon’s arm. She started coughing up blood. 

“Oh god, Janine!” Egon shouted as he carefully shifted her into his lap. 

“Where’s the nearest hospital?!” Winston yelled.

“Ten minutes south of here!” the housekeeper shouted, pointing down the road. 

Winston nodded. Egon was crying while holding Janine in his arms. Amanda cried as she watched them leave, headed for the hospital. 

After an agonizing hour and a half, the doctor came into the waiting room. He told them that Janine had a punctured lung from one of the three broken ribs she had sustained. They had repaired it and she would make a full recovery. They were all eager to see her.

Egon was the first in the room. He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She opened her eyes and smiled. 

“I’m sorry I slapped you,” Janine apologized softly. Her voice was a bit hoarse. 

Egon smiled, tears in his eyes. “I deserved it,” he said.

Janine shook her head. “No, you didn’t. I’ve been wrong the whole time.”

“What do you mean?” Egon asked.

“If you really like her, then tell her,” Janine said. 

The others looked at each other, wondering where this was headed. 

“She’s still high from the anesthesia,” Peter whispered to Ray and Winston. 

“I can’t,” Egon said.

“Why not?” Janine asked.

“Because I don’t like her that way,” Egon explained. “But I won’t interfere with you and what’s his name.”

Janine grinned. “David. And there is no David, not anymore.”

“What happened?” Ray asked.

“I broke it off after our second date,” Janine confessed. “I just couldn’t lead him on like that.”

“What about the flowers?” Winston asked.

Janine blushed. “I bought them myself to make Egon jealous. But I didn’t quite get the reaction I had hoped for.”

Egon squeezed her hand a bit more. “Janine, I….,”

Janine interrupted him. “Egon, I’m so sorry. I had no right to act like that. I mean, it’s not like we’re dating or anything.”

“Well, we can change that,” Egon said softly with a smile. 

Janine smiled, then tried to sit up. But she was sore from the surgery incision and broken ribs. The guys all jumped in to help her. Winston pushed the button to adjust the head of the bed while Ray added an extra pillow behind her back. Peter got another blanket and folded it over the foot of the bed while Egon helped keep the sheet over her to protect her dignity while she moved around. 

“I hate these damn gowns,” Janine mumbled. She lightly placed her hand over the incision area and hissed at the pain.

“I’ll get the nurse to bring you some pain medication,” Ray offered. 

“Thanks,” Janine replied. “How big was the cut?”

“Probably not too big,” Winston said. 

“I hope they kept the stitches small,” Janine said. “It’ll be bikini season soon; gotta look good.”

They all smiled. “Yeah, you’re gonna be fine,” Peter said.


	6. Egon Makes His Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Egon decides between Janine and Amanda; the guys have a job to finish

A couple of hours later, Peter decided that he, Winston and Ray needed to go back to Amanda’s estate. They needed to verify that the ghost situation was finished and to wrap up loose ends. Peter had decided that he wasn’t going to charge her for their extra trip. She had paid them quite well already. Besides, with Janine’s injuries, he felt like they had all endured enough. 

What concerned Peter the most was the way Egon was handling the situation - he wasn’t. He had been a nervous wreck the entire time Janine had been in surgery. Peter had tried to talk to him, but Egon only answered in short one word answers. Peter wondered if Egon blamed himself somehow. He only hoped that some private time together would help. 

As the guys left, Janine was starting to drift off to sleep. But she forced herself to stay awake. She wanted to talk to Egon.

Egon looked at her after Peter had closed the door after him. He could see how anxious she seemed. He stepped over to the bedside.

“Janine, are you alright?” Egon asked.

Janine’s eyes had started to glisten with tears. She was fidgeting with a tissue in her hands. “I….I’m sorry I’m so….pathetic.”

“What on earth are you talking about?” Egon asked, completely confused. He idly wondered if it was a reaction to the pain medication.

“I’m a pathetic human being! You have a woman who’s better suited to make you happy and I tried to screw that up! If you felt ANYTHING for ME, you would’ve said so!” Janine blurted out in between sobs.

Egon sat down carefully on the edge of her bed and held her hand in his. He waited a moment for Janine to calm down before he spoke.

“Janine, you are not pathetic. You are just someone who has been wronged,” Egon explained. 

Janine shook her head in disagreement. “I’ve been the one who wronged you!”

Egon cupped Janine’s face in his hands. As he looked into her eyes, he continued.

“I’ve wronged you for years. I do have a woman in my life to make me happy - you. You’re the one I want, Janine.”

She looked at Egon directly, her lips still trembling. “But I’ve lied about the flowers, I beat up a woman, hurt you just to make you jealous! It’s not right!” She broke down into tears again, quickly changing to a panic attack.

Not knowing what else to do to keep her from hyperventilating, Egon leaned in and kissed Janine deeply on the líps, her face still cupped in his hands. Slowly, her sobs stopped and her breathing slowed to a more normal speed. 

As Egon pulled away, Janine seemed to be in another world, her eyes sparkling with a wide grin on her lips. He wasn’t sure if it was the kiss or the medication causing it.

“Janine?” Egon asked cautiously.

“Yeah?” She replied dreamily.

“Are you ok?”

“Egon, I’ve never been better my whole life!” Janine said. 

He blushed as he released Janine and sat back upright on the bed. But Janine still looked upset. Egon didn’t know what else to do. He felt guilty about everything. 

Finally, Janine broke the silence. “I’ll still quit if you think it’s best,” she said softly. 

“Why would you even consider that?!” Egon panicked. 

Janine narrowed her eyes. “One kiss doesn’t fix everything, Egon. If there’s something there between us, something real, then let’s figure it out. Stop this cat and mouse game we’ve both been playing for years. If not, then let me move on.”

Egon could see her hands trembling. He knew that wasn’t an easy thing for her to say. But he also knew she was right. He had a choice to make. And he did.

“Janine, I love you. I’ve loved you for years. But I was too afraid to say anything. For several reasons: my father raised me to focus only on science, that love was something that weak people allow. Also, I didn’t know if you felt as much for me as I do for you. You’ve dated a few other men over the years and I thought maybe I had waited too long. I didn’t want to ruin what we already had. And if that’s all we could have, I wanted to keep it intact.”

Janine allowed the tears to fall as she listened to his reasoning. It made sense. 

He reached down and squeezed her hands. “Janine, tell me now, right now, if you still love me?”

She squeezed his hands back and smiled. “I have always loved you, and I always will.”

They carefully embraced each other and kissed deeply. After they broke away, Egon hugged Janine and helped her lay down. 

“You need to rest,” he told her. “I’ll be here when you wake.”

She smiled faintly as she closed her eyes and allowed sleep to claim her. 

Back at the estate, Peter, Ray and Winston were gathering their equipment and all of the research information Janine had brought. 

Amanda cautiously approached Ray as he was loading Ecto-1. “Um...Dr. Stantz, how’s your secretary?”

Ray looked at her, a very serious expression on his face. “She’s recovering from surgery.” He didn’t want to give out any unnecessary details.

Peter, on the other hand, was still quite upset. “Yeah, a punctured lung and a few broken ribs! It’s gonna probably take her up to six weeks to fully recover! All because of your obsession! I HOPE YOU think it was WORTH IT!”

Amanda teared up but didn’t cry. “Look, I’m really sorry. I never expected there to be actual ghosts here! But you got them so it all worked out.”

Winston had joined them at Ecto by then. He couldn’t keep his mouth shut any longer. “Yeah, it did work out. Janine’s surgery went well - no complications. It will take a while to recover but she will recover. She’s a strong woman. And Egon will be there to help her. He’s with her now. And with any luck, they’re reconciling at the hospital now. Go find your own true love, Ms. Wrigley.”

Amanda took a few steps back, her eyes tearing up. “So, Egon and….And…..,” her voice trailed off.

“Yeah! Egon has been in love with Janine for a while. She loves him, too! Things just never worked out til now!” Peter blurted out, his anger getting the best of him.

Amanda looked stunned. “I never thought someone like him would want someone like...HER,” the sarcasm dripping from her words.

“Why? Because she’s down to earth and honest?! She doesn’t pretend to be something she’s not to get his attention?!” Winston shouted, trying to keep his temper under control. 

“Come on guys,” Ray urged, eager to leave. “Let’s get going. Janine’s gonna be released soon, then we can go home.”

Winston and Peter finished packing their equipment and got into Ecto-1. Ray chose to drive since Winston was still a bit too wound up. 

Amanda watched them leave, wishing she had never heard the name ‘Egon Spengler.’

At the hospital, Janine was being released. She was instructed to follow up with a local doctor once they returned to New York City. She was also forbidden to go back to work for a week, and then only light duty.

Since she had a week off from work, Janine was looking forward to a little peace and quiet. Egon had called her twice the first day. It seemed he couldn’t bear not talking to her. So it was no surprise when, on Day 2, he showed up at her apartment door. He had brought groceries, books for her to read and several rental videos to watch. 

Janine enjoyed Egon’s company, whether it was for a few hours or a few days. On Day 4, Egon asked to stay in case she needed anything during the night. Of course, she was elated, but also disappointed that he slept on the couch. At least, until the fifth night.

She was still having some discomfort, especially when she tried to put on the elastic bandage her doctor had given her to support her ribs. She had managed on her own the first day but Egon had helped since he arrived at her apartment. It had been especially difficult for him given his issues with intimacy. 

But this day, hormones and biology finally took over. As Janine stood in her bedroom clad in curve hugging jeans and a bra attempting to put on the elastic bandage, Egon knocked lightly on her bedroom door. She had left it open just a bit. 

“Damn this stupid thing! Son of a bitch!” She cursed as Egon entered the room. 

“Janine, why didn’t you ask me to help you?” He gently scolded her.

“Because I’ve gotta learn how to do this by myself! I don’t expect you to be here every day to help!” Janine replied. She stomped her foot in frustration, jarring her ribs and causing a twinge of pain to radiate through her body. She teared up instantly. “Shit!” She dropped the bandage on the floor and grabbed her side.

Egon placed his hands on her hips to steady her. “Easy, Janine! Just sit down on the bed, try to breathe slowly.”

As he guided her to the bed, Janine started to regain her composure. They sat down together on the edge of her bed. Janine continued to breathe slowly as the pain subsided. 

She looked over at Egon, who was staring at her with a very lustful expression. His smile was slightly curved on one end, raising one eyebrow. It took Janine back for just a moment. 

“Egon?” She asked, not sure what to expect. 

Without saying a word, Egon leaned in and kissed Janine on the lips. He pulled away slowly. “Do you know how difficult it has been for me to see you for the past few days dressed like this? Helping you with the bandage but not touching you?”

Janine smiled seductively. “Then why don’t you touch me?” She purred.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Egon whispered.

“There’s ways around that,” Janine whispered back, gently pulling Egon down on the bed as she laid back. 

Egon hovered over Janine from waist up. He placed soft kisses on her lips, then over to her ear, trailing down her neck. Janine tried to stay still but was finding it difficult; her ear is a very sensitive area, and she was quickly becoming aroused. Her fingernails scratched lightly across Egon’s shoulders, then down his arms. She pushed her head back against the pillow as his lips softly trailed across her clavicle then down across the top of one breast. 

She moaned in ecstasy as she felt Egon’s hands sliding the bra straps down. He gently pushed the bra cups up since it was still hooked in the back. As his lips surrounded the tip of her breast, his tongue danced circles over the nipple. Janine moaned louder as Egon began to suckle her breast, kneading the other gently. 

He switched breasts, suckling the other while Janine’s fingers ran through his hair. Instead of kneading the breast with his free hand, Egon slowly let it travel across her stomach. He unbuttoned her jeans and slid his hand into her panties. Janine’s back arched as his fingers found her clitoris. She felt a slight tinge of pain shoot through her ribs. She inhaled sharply in a way that alerted Egon that she was in pain. He stopped abruptly and sat up.

“Janine?” he asked concerned. “Did I hurt you?”

“Oh no! I just moved too quickly and my ribs didn’t like it very much. But please, don’t stop!” Janine begged.

Egon resumed his fondling, being very aware of Janine’s ribs. As his fingers resumed the rhythm of pleasing her, Janine closed her eyes, lost in the sensation. She felt his lips kiss the dip just above her clavicle. Egon then very gently kissed over her skin where her ribs were healing. His hand increased speed and pressure just enough. Within minutes, she climaxed. 

Egon laid down next to her and carefully wrapped his arm around her. He kissed her temple as she rested her head on his shoulder.

“I love you,” Janine whispered.

“I love you, too,” Egon replied. “I’m sorry for everything that happened upstate.”

“That’s ok. It was my fault,” Janine said. “I shouldn’t have done the things I did to screw with you.”

Egon tilted her chin up to look her in the eyes. “From now on, we will communicate. I will work on displaying my emotions better. But please know that I do not harbor any feelings for Ms. Wrigley. I don’t know exactly what happened. I thought you had moved on. And for a moment, I just allowed it to happen.”

Janine smiled. She placed one hand on the side of his face. “I believe you. And I’ll help you with the whole emotional thing. As long as we’re together.”

They shared another deep kiss before drifting off to sleep in each other’s arms.


End file.
